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Byztantzium
Terrain and People The Empire is about 2000 km squared, with a large, fertile (and defendable) central agricultural plateau surrounded on all sides by a thick belt of high mountains. The population is concentrated in the plateau, in the cities of Constantinople (capitol, North coast) and Trevanium (South coast). Both cities are actually located a good distance inland, on major rivers. The Trevanium delta is also a large, flat area; and the Empire controls the island of Cyprus, very large and fertile, which with a bay forms the Byzantine Sea on the south side of the empire – which itself fronts on the Southern Outer Ocean. The SOE is much stormier than the Eastern, and only very experienced mariners will essay it. Byzantzium has a strong trade, shipping from the Caliphate to Trevanium thence overland and to the Human Theme via the Inland sea, a shorter and safer route than the all-ocean route, at least for goods from the western half of the Caliphate. Byzantzium also trades with all the southern areas fronting only on the Southern Outer Ocean, such as Alphatia, which makes Byzantzium a monopolist in such goods. Alphatian magickal apparatuses and materials are prized above almost all others and fetch high prices. The Byzantine navy is usually rated the fourth largest on the Inland Sea; but that may be deceptive. What percentage of the Byzantine navy is stationed in the Southern Outer Ocean is unknown. But then, it probably does not matter for your strategic calculations. Risks (To Combine) Naval; incurring the wrath of the Byzantines could cause a naval war. Fortunately they are not aggressive at sea, insisting only on their control of the Throat. Military Army Built around cataphract bow and lance heavy cavalry and Roman-style infantry legions; very flexigble, highly professional. All citizens serve 15 years and then receive land; this is becoming a problem as arable land is decreasing. Traditionally, mountain land, even with arable plots and mineral potential, and not acceptable. Navy Large, highly trained, no slave rowers, which means each ship has a large military potential. Economics Major source of Southern Outer Ocean trade goods. Controls and taxes trade through the Throat. Politics The Byzantines maintain very active relations with Viridia (generally mutually supportive – they have no clashing interests and both face large, dangerous, nearby opponents neither like much); with Illyria (their navies could clash, and neither side wants that to happen; Byzantzium generally does not contest Illyr claims to dominate the Inland Sea, and the Illyr pay Throat transit taxes while not recognizing Byzantine right to charge them...); Caliphate, the Byzantines and Caliphate trade always and war often. The Caliphate has made six attempts to annex Byzantzium, with varying degrees of failure from near-success to disastrous. The Byzantines have no interest in a sand empire, but have taken strips of desert at different times to act as buffers. The Byzantines actively support the Orthodox churches still surviving in the Caliphate. Byzantine relations with the Human Theme are mostly trade; there is a large Byzantine embassy at the Principality of Man and likewise in Constantinople from the Principality of Man. War between the two is unlikely, but the Prince of Man claims Byzantzium should be under his ultimate power, a claim the Emperor politely ignores and the Prince of Man never actively presses. Additional Information * John of Thassos is from here.